NORTH KINGSTOWN – Quonset State Airport is slated to host nearly $2 million worth of helicopter offices and equipment to be used in building offshore wind projects.
Danish wind developer Orsted A/S and its partner Eversource Energy on Monday announced a deal with HeliService International Inc. to use helicopters to take wind turbine crews up to the tops of the towering turbines. The first-of-its-kind contract will use Quonset State Airport as a staging ground for offices and equipment for the helicopters, the release stated.
The contract applies to three regional Orsted and Eversource wind projects – South Fork Wind, Revolution Wind, and Sunrise Wind, all of which are expected to involve some work in Rhode Island, with Revolution Wind also bring 400 megawatts of power to the Ocean State.
The deal brings an estimated $1.8 million in infrastructure and equipment upgrades to the North Kingstown airport, as well as an unspecified number of jobs.
“Quonset is pleased to be selected to host helicopter operations for the joint venture wind projects currently being planned by Orsted and Eversource,” Steven King, managing director of the Quonset Development Corporation, said in a statement. “Today’s announcement reconfirms Quonset’s emerging role as one of the leading hubs for the United States offshore wind industry, which will bring innovative economic development to Rhode Island, create good paying jobs to support Rhode Island families and help the Ocean State achieve its ambitious renewable energy goals.”
Orsted and Eversource previously committed $40 million in infrastructure upgrades to Rhode Island ports, including at Quonset and in Providence. That includes a turbine foundation-building facility at ProvPort, which was recently completed.
The companies have also teamed up with two regional marine companies with Rhode Island shipyards to build crew transfer vessels for their Northeast offshore wind farms.
Exactly how many jobs the state stands to gain – or has already added- from regional offshore wind projects is unclear. Orsted and Eversource say the Revolution Wind project will create 1,100 construction jobs across Rhode Island and Connecticut and 200 ongoing maintenance jobs, but the impact of other projects for Rhode Island has not calculated.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
